Why is it so common for RPG studios to bounce back and forth between fantasy and sci-fi franchises?

[Cosmic Voyager]

For example Bioware's bread and butter are Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Bethesda's tentpoles are Fallout and Elder Scrolls. CDPR is jumping on the wagon with Witcher and now Cyberpunk.

It's interesting to me that these big RPG studios almost always choose to have one big fantasy franchise and one big sci-fi franchise. They may dabble in other things as well, but these tend to be their bedrock.

It's almost like chocolate and peanut butter - why do you think that is? Why does this pairing seem to be so common when they could just as easily make a horror RPG or a historical RPG or a mythological RPG, etc.?

 

[Deleted member 9486]

Lots of overlap between fantasy and scifi fans when it comes to movies and shows---think of what gets big attendance, cosplayers etc. at DragonCon and similar events.

Lots of overlap between fans of those things and gamers who love RPGs as RPGs are as close as you get to playing an scifi or fantasy novel/show/movie.

 

[Yuntu]

I have no clue but my guess would be because its the most simple biggest contrast to not burn out your devs on the same thing over and over again?

 

[Mirage]

I feel like going scifi and fantasy feels like more variety than fantasy and historical / mythological which can all kind of have blurry lines. Also lets them stick to their strength of making RPGs.

And I guess just because a horror RPG probably wouldn't be as populsar.

 

[Kurita]

Why does this pairing seem to be so common when they could just as easily make a horror RPG or a historical RPG or a mythological RPG, etc.?

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Can they easily do it tho?
Will these sell as well?

 

[defaltoption]

Not sure but I am very down for a Horror RPG, maybe from a smaller team like Spiders or two teams working together like a FromSoftware and Sony Japan or Playground Games

 

[dancingphlower]

There's lots of Sci-Fi and Fantasy fiction in general, from books to movies, to draw from as inspirations. Much harder to create something new that breaks the mold. That being said, even among Sci-Fi settings there is a lot of room for variation, looking at Mass Effect, Fallout, and Cyberpunk in your examples. Space opera versus post-apocalyptic versus, well, cyberpunk which are all very different visually and tonally.

 

[Mirage]

Not sure but I am very down for a Horror RPG, maybe from a smaller team like Spiders or two teams working together like a FromSoftware and Sony Japan or Playground Games

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There is Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2 supposed to be coming this year.

 

[Rosebud]

Can they easily do it tho?
Will these sell as well?

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Assassin's Creed sells well, so probably yes. Would be interesting

 

[Deleted member 8196]

Well Obsidian did several RPGs touching different settings and themes.

Alpha Protocol, The Outer Worlds, South Park, FNV, Pillars of Eternity and Vampire The Masquerade if we want to count Troika as well

Different settings and themes.

 

[defaltoption]

There is Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2 supposed to be coming this year.

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True forgot about that, I've never played the first but I always hear good things.

 

[HockeyBird]

Nerds like fantasy. Nerds like sci-fi. So it would be reasonable to assume that they may want to work on both.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

Can they easily do it tho?
Will these sell as well?

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Sure-- Dying Light did very well. Well enough for Techland to do Dying Light 2, start work on a new fantasy IP, and get a bigger office at least.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

True forgot about that, I've never played the first but I always hear good things.

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Dying Light 2 is also coming this year. It'll be a surprisingly good year for horror RPG fans lol

 

[litebrite]

Really wish Obsidian would try again with their attempt at a Spy/Espionage RPG only with a AAA budget from MS. Especially since you don't have Spy/Espionage AAA games like you used to have with Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell,

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

Really wish Obsidian would try again with their attempt at a Spy/Espionage RPG only with a AAA budget from MS. Especially since you don't have Spy/Espionage AAA games like you used to have with Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell,

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Who knows, now that they have M$ money maybe they'll try again! a spy/espionage RPG would be very cool & refreshing

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Think about the ground those genres cover though. In the OP space opera, cyberpunk, and dystopian postapolcalyptic alternate history all fall under the general 'sci fi' umbrella.

 

[litebrite]

Who knows, now that they have M$ money maybe they'll try again! a spy/espionage RPG would be very cool & refreshing

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Yeah, a Mission Impossible inspired RPG game with a great dialogue choice/consequence system and a great stealth and action gameplay along with big action set pieces would be amazing.

 

[Cactuar]

And then there's Final Fantasy, which often mixes the two.

 

[Theodoricos]

The mentioned examples - Mass Effect, Cyberpunk 2077, and Fallout - couldn't be more different from each other. If anything, we have way too many fantasy RPGs and not nearly enough sci-fi RPGs (like Mass Effect). I'm hoping Starfield will be good because the only thing we got on the sci-fi side of things after ME is The Outer Worlds.

 

[EvilBoris]

I guess these are just well worn, tried and tested genres that have been a big part of RPG right back from when they were only board games.

I guess the genre need for different abilities, races and environments fits a non-realistic world a bit better.
It also contextualises basic stuff like weaponary and a variety of enemies to fight.

Would a WW2 RPG offer the same variety of weapons for an RPG game to function vs a sci-fi game?
Would a game set in a historical medieval world offer enough variants of accurate swords to be fun to play? Would the Witcher be the same if the only enemy were humans and there were no creatures, monsters or magic?

 

[Baccus]

I'd love to play a ""real life" RPG.

 

[EvilBoris]

I'd love to play a ""real life" RPG.

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Play the Sims

 

[Baccus]

Play the Sims

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That's not what I meant and you know it.

Spy RPG, crime boss RPG, that kind of stuff.

Alpha Protocol was robbed.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

Shit gets boring, yo.

EDIT: I see what you mean. Hmm, no good answer. I suppose it's more risky (until it's not).

 

[EvilBoris]

That's not what I meant and you know it.

Spy RPG, crime boss RPG, that kind of stuff.

Alpha Protocol was robbed.

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GTAV 😬
You talk to people, you level up, you get money, you buy better stuff. RPG!

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

That's not what I meant and you know it.

Spy RPG, crime boss RPG, that kind of stuff.

Alpha Protocol was robbed.

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You should check out Empire of Sin, it's a 1920s mobster game coming out this year. I think it's more strategy than RPG, but it might be up your alley

 

[Baccus]

GTAV 😬
You talk to people, you level up, you get money, you buy better stuff. RPG!

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You beautiful devil you

You should check out Empire of Sin, it's a 1920s mobster game coming out this year. I think it's more strategy than RPG, but it might be up your alley

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:o I'm so in, thank you

 

[hussien-11]

Western RPGs are limited in imagination/settings and not really varied enough. I always did wonder the same thing, why not do RPG with a modern setting like Persona or any other unique setting? you can't say the same about Japanese RPGs though, they are definitely more varied and distinct.

 

[Deleted member 179]

Alongside what others are saying I'd say it's because of how similar they can end up being in taking us out of the real world. Both can have big, bombastic, made up enemies, cool weapon designs that don't have to be grounded in reality, new settings that aren't typical earth design, insertion of races besides humans and abilities thru magic or enhancements, etc.

 

[Windu]

They know their audience.

 

[sabrina]

they could just as easily make a horror RPG or a historical RPG or a mythological RPG, etc.?

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if Fallout is Sci-Fi, then all three of these are Fantasy

 

[Deleted member 8196]

Western RPGs are limited in imagination/settings and not really varied enough

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How many western RPGs did you play? Because this is complete bullshit.

Are you seriously telling me Vampyr, Wasteland 3, Greedfall, Bloodlines 2, Disco Elysium and Pillars of Eternity does not have different settings and they are not varied enough? lmao

 

[Era of not Yakuza]

I think most games today have some kind of RPG elements

 

[j3d1j4m13]

Really wish Obsidian would try again with their attempt at a Spy/Espionage RPG only with a AAA budget from MS. Especially since you don't have Spy/Espionage AAA games like you used to have with Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell,

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Another Alpha Protocol with a proper budget and development time would be amazing. I really loved the game, warts and all.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

if Fallout is Sci-Fi, then all three of these are Fantasy

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I could see your argument for mythological, but I think horror is broad enough and full of enough of its own tropes to stand on its own.

Also a historical RPG would in no way be a fantasy game. That's like saying WWII shooters are fantasy games.

 

[Deleted member 8196]

Western RPGs are limited in settings and imagination

JRPGs are more varied and distinct

 

[sabrina]

I could see your argument for mythological, but I think horror is broad enough and full of enough of its own tropes to stand on its own.

Also a historical RPG would in no way be a fantasy game. That's like saying WWII shooters are fantasy games.

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You can have subgenres or combined genres. "Fantasy" has the dungeons and dragon style, the urban fantasy style, the gothic horror style, and plenty of others.

A game like Assassin's Creed is historical, fantasy, and also sci fi. A game like Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is urban fantasy and gothic horror. A game like Dead Space is sci fi and also cosmic horror. A game like Bloodborne is gothic horror and cosmic horror.

When you generalize to make a point, it doesn't hold up to very much scrutiny.

 

[Exile In Mudville]

I'm happy to see any RPG studio bust out of Fantasy/Sci-Fi. Even within the D&D worlds, I'm really hoping the next games after Baldur's Gate 3 and the new Dark Alliance take on campaigns that break the molds, like Dark Sun and Eberron (since that one just came back in the books it's more likely).

But what I really want are more fantastical modern world settings. Something rooted in Monster Of The Week, Night's Black Agents, and The X-Files would be an incredible CRPG setting.

 

[Aokiji]

spoiler alert: they are the most popular genre lol. popular = sales

 

[litebrite]

Another Alpha Protocol with a proper budget and development time would be amazing. I really loved the game, warts and all.

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I know right. Plus it would stick out because there no games with that setting at that scale with RPG and dialogue mechanics and systems right now being made now.

 

[OldGamer]

Scifi and Fantasy tend to hit similar demographics. There's more of a divide in movies for whatever reason, but in most other media they go together like peanut butter and jelly

 

[Buttzerker]

Western RPGs are limited in imagination/settings and not really varied enough. I always did wonder the same thing, why not do RPG with a modern setting like Persona or any other unique setting? you can't say the same about Japanese RPGs though, they are definitely more varied and distinct.

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You're joking right

Pillars of Eternity 2 - Pirate fantasy RPG

Disco Elysium - Post-War Eastern European RPG

Greedfall - Colonial Expansionist Era RPG

ELEX - Wild Skyrim/Fallout/Battletech mashup setting RPG

Deus Ex - Near-future cyberpunk RPG

These are just a few off the top of my head the last five years I can keep going

 

[Uzzy]

Sci Fi and Fantasy are ludicrously popular genres, especially with the people making them, and they allow you a mostly free hand to make what you want without the baggage of real world cultures and history that a mythological or historical RPG would bring. I would be delighted to see more modern day RPGs, but they've not had the most success even with licenses like Vampire: the Masquerade behind them. Disco Elysium is certainly an incredible example of a modern setting in an RPG, so hopefully it and Bloodlines 2 to come can lead the way.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

You can have subgenres or combined genres. "Fantasy" has the dungeons and dragon style, the urban fantasy style, the gothic horror style, and plenty of others.

A game like Assassin's Creed is historical, fantasy, and also sci fi. A game like Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is urban fantasy and gothic horror. A game like Dead Space is sci fi and also cosmic horror. A game like Bloodborne is gothic horror and cosmic horror.

When you generalize to make a point, it doesn't hold up to very much scrutiny.

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I agree with all of that, but having elements of a subgenre or a mix of influences doesn't change the fact that titles (generally) predominantly lean towards a certain classification.

For example, Witcher has elements of horror, but it is not a horror game-- everyone can agree it is a fantasy game. Greedfall is influenced by history through its use of aesthetics, technology, and conflicts from the 1500s-1600s, however it would be completely inaccurate to call it a historical game considering it firmly places itself in the realm of fantasy with magic and creatures.

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

medieval fantasy rpgs, sci-fi fantasy rpgs.

 

[sabrina]

I agree with all of that, but having elements of a subgenre or a mix of influences doesn't change the fact that titles (generally) predominantly lean towards a certain classification.

For example, Witcher has elements of horror, but it is not a horror game-- everyone can agree it is a fantasy game. Greedfall is influenced by history through its use of aesthetics, technology, and conflicts from the 1500s-1600s, however it would be completely inaccurate to call it a historical game considering it firmly places itself in the realm of fantasy with magic and creatures.

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Okay. Then Fallout is a post-apocalypse game with some sci-fi trappings.

 

[androvsky]

That's not what I meant and you know it.

Spy RPG, crime boss RPG, that kind of stuff.

Alpha Protocol was robbed.

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You might be interested in Yakuza 7 also.

 

[My Cow Phelps]

Both fantasy and sci-fi fiction are under the "speculative fiction" umbrella. Nerds usually love both genres. Not to mention that tons of speculative fiction use both fantasy and sci-fi elements (like Star Wars and Dune).

Also, a lot of video games have pretty generic lore/setting (just look at Dragon Age), so an easy way to a developer to create a new IP while avoiding repeating itself is changing from a genre to another.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

Okay. Then Fallout is a post-apocalypse game with some sci-fi trappings.

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It's the other way around. Fallout is a sci-fi game with nuclear post-apocalyptic trappings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genres

Here you can see how the genres/subgenres in fiction are broken down